Mumps Case Confirmed at Jacobs High School

ALGONQUIN, IL - A student at Jacobs High School in Algonquin has contracted mumps, school officials said Monday. The district learned of the confirmed mumps case on Monday and is now taking steps ensure the health and safety of the rest of its student population and taking steps to prevent the spread of mumps, Superintendent Fred Heid wrote in a letter to parents. One of those steps will include not allowing students who have compromised immune systems or who have not received the mumps vaccine and had direct contact with the student who has mumpbs to attend school for the rest of the year, Heid said.

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Here is the full letter Heid sent to parents on Monday:

Dear Parents:

The District was informed today that Jacobs High School has one student with a confirmed case of mumps.
The Kane County Health Department does not consider this an outbreak (an outbreak requires three or more confirmed cases in one facility). However, individuals with compromised immune systems and students who have not received the mumps vaccine and were in direct contact with the student who contracted mumps will be excluded be from school for the remainder of the year.

More than 98 percent of District 300 students are vaccinated from mumps. The small percentage of students who are not protected from the virus and those who are immune suppressed will be contacted by district and/or school administration regarding next steps.

Our top priority is keeping students and staff healthy and safe, and reducing the spread of mumps throughout the District 300 community. We will continue to monitor the situation closely alongside the Kane County Health Department and will update you with any new developments. In the meantime, if your student experiences any of the signs and symptoms of mumps, please keep them home from school and notify your child’s physician. For you reference, we have included the Kane County Health Department’s “Mumps Fact Sheet” to this message.

We will continue to monitor the health status of all students and will work cooperatively with the health department should any additional cases develop.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Fred Heid
Superintendent